Chapter Text
It hadn't taken long for BD-1 to rearrange his priorities to put Cal Kestis right at the top of the list. The only issue is, there seems to be something very wrong with the human.
To BD-1's knowledge, the overwhelming majority of living beings are born with an instinct of self preservation. Cal Kestis however seems to entirely lack anything of the sort. BD-1's only guess is some internal malfunction.
There is no other possible reason BD-1 can think of for Cal to be sitting at the workbench in the Mantis' engine room whilst injured.
BD-1 lacks any medical programming, being primarily an explorer droid, but he has data collected on living creatures and has worked with a human before, though the data related to that relationship is largely inaccessible to BD-1 at the moment. Living beings are generally very good at creating various liquids and substances, often leaking them in various different ways. But one substance they're never supposed to leak is blood, not through naturally existing orifices, nor through ones artificially created by damage to the body.
It's a deep red in humans, currently leaking through a gash in Cal's flank. He sustained it on the return trip to the Mantis after locating the tomb of Eilram, a Phillak's horn only just catching his side. Not long after that, Cal had asked for a stim from BD-1.
The blood had turned more viscous after a while, drying in the air, but Cal's movement had always increased the flow of it once more. Back at the Mantis, removing the fabric covering his upper half had done the same, fresh blood spilling from the cut.
Cal holds up the clothes he took off, inspecting the tear in it with a groan. "Look at this," he says, holding it up for BD-1 to inspect. “Now I'm going to have to fix this hole.”
BD-1 fails to see how this is currently a priority and tells Cal as much. The droid is unsure how much blood humans are generally filled with and how much of that they have to retain to keep moving. That lack of information is making BD-1 nervous. Thankfully, Cal places the item of clothing down.
"Guess I've got to deal with this," Cal groans, prodding at the cut with his fingers. The contact makes him hiss, face twisting in what BD-1 quickly identifies as pain.
Pain, a living being's equivalent to warnings indicating damage to their body, shows its self in many different ways. It depends greatly on the species, as well as the individual. BD-1 has been given plenty of opportunity to observe Cal in this state, seeing as he lacks self preservation. Whilst the human can be loud and obvious about it during combat or in the field, Cal is good at suppressing his reactions. Paying close attention is vital in assessing just how bad the damage is.
Displaying signs of discomfort, Cal lays out a knife on the workbench. BD-1's seen it before, the small blade apparently having been Cal's primary defence before he switched to using the lightsaber again. He used it for repairs on BD-1 from time to time.
What the knife has to do with the cut in Cal's side doesn't immediately seem obvious to BD-1, but he watches in silence. The Jedi starts running the torch he uses for welding across the blade, heating the metal. BD-1 reminds Cal that he's still bleeding and should focus on that.
"I'm on it BD, don't worry," Cal says, not looking up from his work. Whistling questioningly, BD-1 leans forwards.
The torch is extinguished but the blade stays in Cal's hand. The knife has yet to start glowing like near molten metal does, but BD-1's guesses it is still far beyond safe for humans to touch.
The droid is about to warn Cal of that fact, when the human presses the flat side of the blade to the cut in his side. It audibly hisses as it burns Cal's skin, the Jedi's expression strained. His jaw is clenched tightly, but a low, distressed whine still escapes.
Every circuit in BD-1's body is screaming at him to stop this, that Cal is being harmed and he needs to do something against it. But Cal is damaging himself, which goes far beyond just lacking self-preservation. BD-1 trills loudly to get Cal to look at him, telling him to stop. Doesn't he notice that he's burning himself?
Cal drops the knife on the table at BD-1's panic, raising his hands defensively. "It's okay BD, I'm just stopping the bleeding " Cal argues.
BD-1 hops to the edge of the workbench to inspect the cut, first portion of it closed where the knife touched it. The skin looks damaged, starting to blister in areas. The bleeding has stopped there, true to Cal's words, but BD-1 can't imagine this is the only way to do so. He asks Cal to try and confirm that suspicion.
"There are other ways, but this is fastest and safest." Cal's still holding his arms in the air, giving BD-1 the space to look at what he'd done to himself.
Trying to argue that Cal is causing himself unnecessary pain doesn't work, the Jedi reacting dismissively. "Rather a bit of pain than an infection."
BD-1 can't argue against that, though he wished he had more medical knowledge so he could offer Cal a better way to patch the cut.
Three more times Cal heats the knife and holds it against the cut, BD-1 having to fights against intervening every time. He shouldn't allow this to happen, Cal's being hurt. But he has to. BD-1 whistles sadly to himself.
Unlike a droid that has no further care to attend to once a break in their casing is fused, living beings need to look after these damaged areas, help them close fully. Cal does nothing of the sort, simply covering the now badly blistered area on his flank with a square of white fabric he tapes to his skin. Upon being asked why, Cal waves off, claiming he doesn't need anything else. “I've survived worse on less, this is nothing.” The dark marks on Cal's chest, blood that's spilled beneath the skin, don't get treated either.
No matter what, Cal would never treat any repair on BD-1 with such a lack of care. No matter how small the scratch or dent, Cal's ready to spend hour meticulously righting it, constantly checking in with BD-1 the entire time. BD-1's systems don't support physical sensation equivalent to how a non-droid's body does, yet Cal makes sure that BD-1 is comfortable throughout any repair. That he doesn't extend the same care to tending to his own body is concerning. BD-1 files that fact away into the collection of evidence for the human's lacking self-preservation as well as marks it as one of the many things BD-1 worries about.
With a groan, Cal pushes himself up from the workbench. There is pain radiating off every inch of the human's body, from the way his eyebrows are drawn together and eyes narrowed, to the way his hand just barely hovers over his damaged flank. BD-1 asks him to be careful. If Cal falls, there's nothing BD-1 can do to prevent it.
Thankfully Cal sits down on the bed before he hurts himself further by collapsing.
Moving hesitantly, Cal pulls his legs onto it and lets himself fall onto his side, the one without the gash. That does not mean that side is uninjured of course. The bruises cover that side as well and BD-1 is fairly certain the cage of bones, ribs, protecting Cal's internal organs has suffered some structural damage over the last few days.
“Little buddy?” Cal calls, lifting his head up slightly. BD-1 quickly springs into action, hopping down from the workbench and skittering over to the bed. He leaps up and settles against the Jedi's chest. BD-1's level of charge doesn't need to be increased currently, so he'd rather spend time with Cal. He's the type of person that likes to hold things for comfort and BD-1 often ends up being that, even though the droid isn't entirely certain why Cal made that choice. BD-1 is made of cold metal and joints that pinch soft materials like skin, yet Cal still wants to hold him.
BD-1 has also begun a list of things Cal will cling to when asleep or seeking comfort. The droid himself is on the list of course, but other than that he's had to add blankets, pillows, dirty clothes and one instance of Cal falling asleep at the workbench and ending up holding on to a box of tools.
With the BD-unit in his arms, Cal sighs, his expression a conflicting mix of contentment, pain and exhaustion. If Cal had went to Cere and Greez, he might be more comfortable now. BD-1 knows they have a medkit that is well stocked and they certainly would have had something to block Cal's pain. But BD-1 doesn't want to force Cal to do anything he'd be uncomfortable with.
Instead, he makes a rude comment about the Phillak that hit Cal, getting the Jedi to laugh, even if the sound is weak.
BD-1 doesn't try to move from his spot, even when Cal falls asleep. He watches the human carefully, noting any change in his expression. If Cal were to develop further issues from his injuries or start having another nightmare, BD-1 would notice quickly and be able to react accordingly. Keeping Cal safe is his priority and if the Jedi refuses to care for himself, BD-1 will just have to keep even closer watch of him. It's not like droids need sleep anyway.